Shadow in the Darkness
by Kotone111
Summary: Sakura's fear at night is what keeps her occupied the most. She's weak now and at home in the dark. Maybe something can change that. Maybe she can learn to embrace it. (Slight A/U, still early in the process.)
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I know some things may not match. That is intentional. However, if something may seem to be blatantly off, please feel free to mention it. Enjoy and I love feedback.

How would I fight him? How would I win? I'm a nobody and he is a Nara!

I didn't know the man from Kami. Ino talked some about him sure, in between her obsessive Sausage talk. He and Chougi were friends. He was lazy unlike Sasuke. He didn't talk a lot, worse than Sauce. He was super smart but nothing compared to Sasuke.

Everything she said about him was "Unlike Sasuke". So what was I to assume when pitted against him in the final form of the Chunin Exams? Did he have any skills. Did he have any extra special jutsu? Anything that could be used against me in a battle of torment and kill me before I had a chance to defend myself? It's not like she gave me any useful information.

 **Will you just stop please? Stop asking questions and actually go do research!**

 ** _But how? You can't exactly go and ask about heirs of clans without raising some suspicion or getting the whole world to lock up like an S-class mission._**

 ****For years I have been talking to my inner. She was sometimes my inspiration, sometimes my much-needed kick in the butt, and sometimes my one and only confidant.

However, she was right. I can't just keep going on like this. This was a tournament and I had one month to prepare. Most ninja went into all scenarios preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. As a paper ninja, this was my best opportunity to prepare. I should be thrilled…no, I AM thrilled. I have a full month too. Not only prepare myself, but prepare how to take the Nara in a way that even his "unlike Sasuke" crazy mind would expect.

 **Hell Yeah! We are going to fucking do this!**

But where to start? The library of course. I began walking from my small apartment on the outside of town.

I loved this apartment. Ever since my family died when I was 5, the Sandaime put me in this one room 2 story apartment. As a young sprout he knew I was going to become a ninja. I don't know why he was so interested in me, but soon he became just like my ojiisan but better. I could always go to him when things were rough or when I felt truly alone. He just listened, he never judged me and he knew I could help myself. Even better he would treat me to Dango when he wasn't too busy. He was the closest family I had now.

My apartment was pragmatically decorated. One bed, a black frame Black sheets and red pillows. A myriad of weapons was mounted and kept ready for use on my wall. My favorite was my naginata. Not quite a shinobi weapon, but I figured all weapons were shinobi weapons. If it could be used to cut and kill? Then it counted.

The dining room had a small dining table and two chairs. More often than not it was used as a desk rather than an actual food table. I was not exactly the best at cooking and my refrigerator was constantly empty. Who needs food when so many places cook for me? Even though I had a full and beautiful kitchen, I haven't even turned on the stove yet.

Simple yet practical, nothing like my old home, but still mine just the same.

It's been 7 years.

Each window was surrounded with dark black out curtains, traps, and an alarm system anytime anyone got too close. I hated to admit it since to shinobi should ever be scared, but sometimes the noises at night made me a bit paranoid. I know I was supposed to feel safe in my own home, but in this life, nothing can guarantee safety. My parents were killed in a home break in. Nothing could have saved them on that pointless night. I wasn't there, I was at a sleepover with my friend Ino and came home to such a mess. There were smears all over the dark walls. As I walked from room to room I slowly comprehended we were missing things. Isn't that strange? Everything was so wrong. Yet I could see that my favorite piece of sunset art that my mommy bought and we watched together every night was gone. Our radio, where my papa argued with the news was nowhere to be seen. The pretty seashell I found by the beach on a trip to Wave Country and had to bring home for my mommy and papa had disappeared. That mattered, these were the memories. These were home. What had happened? I walked into the hallway and tripped over something in the walkway.

 **That's strange, mommy always cleans…**

At the time I didn't realize that voice wasn't mine. I wasn't exactly focused. And then I felt my hands…why were they wet? That doesn't make sense. I looked up and saw two sets of eyes staring blankly in terror back at me. I froze…

The rest is still a little fuzzy. Ojii-san says I was disassociating to deal with the terror. I always liked that he spoke to me like that…like I was an adult. And I could understand things. I wasn't the smartest kunoichi in my class for no reason. But it was also that night that Inner reared her head. If I am honest with myself, it was Inner that helped me not join them in the grave. It was Inner that made me eat and get out of bed when I didn't want to. It was Inner that I talked to about the nightmares that felt so real. It was Inner that was my comfort when the night noises got too strange.

Though the details were fuzzy the police report was glaringly clear. A burglary gone wrong as they put it. This group was a deadly thing in Konoha. The would send someone in claiming sickness or injury and needed aid. When the caring victims opened the door the rest would rush in and tie them up, take what they want and leave. Usually just leaving scared people losing the comfort their once safe haven had brought. Tonight one was apparently drugged up, and as my father attempted to protect my mother they were slaughtered. The gang was caught running away from the scene as my neighbors had heard screaming and sent a messenger hawk to the police station.

In the following interview, the deranged man that had killed my family didn't even recall the blood, just the feeling the high had given him. I watched him and his gang be executed with a smile on my face. He deserved to die much more unpleasantly. They all did. But at least their life ended just as my mommy and papas had. They would not live on while my parents greeted the great Kami in the afterlife.

I jumped back to the present, shaking my head, my pink locks getting into my watery eyes. As I pushed it back to the confines behind my ears, I looked up and realized my feet had taken me straight where I wished to be. My home away from home, the glorious place of knowledge, the 5 story library that was open every single day all day. I used to come here when the nightmares were bad and nothing could make them go away. This would chase away the demons that had been haunting me. I would read tales of heroes fighting to save the princess, princesses who didn't need saving, and then facts about the world. Political information of the great shinobi nations, matters of the meetings between the Daimyos. Who had the most power? Who had the most missing nin? What was the correct bow to greet a lord vs lord's wife? So much information. That was power, the more people knew the better they were.

If my family knew that it was better to not open their door for anyone claiming they're hurt without proof. If my ojiisan knew that sealing the Kyuubi into a baby would cause such animosity from the villagers. If I knew that talking to the other children around my age rather than hiding from their words would take me out of their eyesight.

Maybe things just might have been better.

Knowledge is power and that will always work out for me in the end. It is knowledge that will let me beat that Nara into the ground and let me be a Chunin.

I walk in and nod to Kimi-san. She's usually here about this time. One benefit of being here all the time is no one asks me if I need help. I know the Dewey-decimal system better than most of the attendants here.

 ** _Naibuke, Nastasuma, Nastingi,….Nara!_**

In the historical section about Konoha, they devote an entire section on clans. I thought it was brilliant myself. With as much as they change around and are so finicky about who they address first during a meeting, I'm glad to have as much information on them as I can. I started skimming the entries for the most important. Sadly, it was very basic information.

 _Established at the beginning of Konoha, the Nara clan provides a strong support system for the Kage and is the least confrontational of the 'clan' structure. During the uprising of the Uchiha clan, the Nara's joined forces with the Hyuga and the Aburame clan in the best protection the village had seen. It is believed that due to Nara Shikaku's interference, Uchiha Itachi did not kill his little brother. Through the Yamanaka clans Yamanaka Inoichi, the youngest Uchiha was interrogated and believed to not be a suspect. The Inuzuka clan gave chase, though lost the Uchiha through the Village Hidden in the Stone._

 _There is a known bond with the Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Nara clan. It is said that each of the youngest clan members are given earrings from their parents the instant they achieve the rank of genin until they achieve the rank of chunin to keep the oaths of their parents in their minds and in their hearts._

There wasn't much more information to be gained. Except maybe leave the earring alone so I don't achieve the enmity of the related clans. Ino I wasn't as concerned about, but I wasn't that close with Choji.

I couldn't help the sigh escaping me. No help here, what else can I do? Maybe it was time to do some surveillance around Konoha. If I observe the Nara in action I should be able to learn something! At least more than I know now. With that excitement, I leave the library not noticing that it was evening already. The local restaurants had lit lantern to encourage those out past sunset to visit their establishments. The night had a small chill but it didn't bother me. I had a plan, I could win, I was heaven and earth!

 **Wouldn't hurt you to actually do the "earth" part of that heaven and Earth mumbo jumbo Iruka-sensei was talking about.**

Inner grumbled. I suppose she wasn't wrong. I may have surpassed many of my colleagues in intellect, but I was sorely lacking in the physical department. My muscles were sub par. I avoid running whenever I can. My waist was small and so were my arms. I probably couldn't lift anything over 50lbs. And then my clothes! I looked down at my dress. It was flashy, but It was the last thing mommy bought me. She wore this type of outfit all the time and she said when I became a young lady I could look like her too. A red dress surrounded by white trim and sandals. My long hair was draped over my shoulders with my long bangs.

CRASH

As I was contemplating my outfit I ran into someone and in turn, we were both knocked on our butts. I cringed and glanced up murmuring "Sorry" instead of hearing anything back there was growling. I could only see the hint of a human leg and a three very large dogs. I must have been lacking any semblance of sense because truly all I saw were "PUPPIES!" I reached out to grab the three together and cuddle them like my very life depended on it.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't know I ran into such amazing animals. They're so cute and so adorable and so loving and so…ARGHHGHGHG PUPPIES!" I was rambling, so sue me. I will never apologize for loving doggers.

"Echm hem…" An amused voice made me look up into the face of an Inuzuka. Based on her appearance and three lovables I have just been mauling I would say, Inuzuka Hana. I pause in my cuddles with her companions and stand up. The three pups go back and huddle around her legs, apparently not used to a strange girl groping them.

With a quick bow to the elder sister, I rush to say "I am so sorry Inuzuka-san, I was not paying attention and I ran into you. Please forgive me."

She wasn't responsive initially. "What were you thinking about with such…abandon?" I shrugged "I realized that, though I'm moving onto the next stage of the exams I have no sensei. I may be able to teach myself a lot but I suppose I'm lacking on the physical training. I don't know exactly what to do at this point. However, there is no reason for me to not pay attention." Another bow "Please forgive me".

She tilted her head with a small frown "Who might you be going up against Haruno-san?" I flinch as she states my name. I wonder how she knew?

 **Pink hair dumbass.**

 ** _Oh…I guess I am the only one in Konoha with it, aren't I?_**

 **Duh. Now pay attention!**

 ** _You were the one distracting me!_**

Inuzuka-san was still waiting for an answer. "Nara Shikamaru, I have heard of him but I really have no information other than his shadow capture he used on that girl in preliminaries."

The chunin smirked. Maybe she already heard about the incident? I don't believe anything in these exams is exactly confidential, and she is a brother to Kiba, maybe he told her.

"And you have no sensei? No one to show you the ropes or give you a way to take that Nara clan down a peg or two?" I started a bit at her tone. "No Inuzuka-san, just me. Naruto was arranged for and Sasuke is with Kakashi-sensei for his training." I tried not to let the bitterness show through to my tone but It was difficult. Was it so hard to care about all three of us in this exam? Weren't we supposed to at least support our teammates? Did his whole trash speech mean nothing?

The smirk seemed to grow. "When you ran into me just now, why did you jump after my companions with such great zeal? They are trained to kill, you are very lucky they didn't take you out immediately."

Not noticing her apparent amusement, I bowed again realizing how rude I was being. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have touched them without permission. But they were so cute and they looked like they wanted a snuggle and I have no self-control…" I bit my lip and thought how awkward it would look if I shoved my literal foot into my literal overly large mouth.

She chuckled. "Ya know, people truly tend to avoid my boys. They could do with some extra care sometimes." She seemed to perk up a bit more at my confusion.

"Sakura-Chan I believe I have the solution to your problem. I can help you train for this exam, and whatever you may need to learn in the interim!" I was thrilled, I would have a sensei? One just for me? This didn't seem real! It couldn't be real. I was cautious again.

"Inuzuka-san that would be so amazing! But…why? What can I do for you?" I felt a cold nose under my hand and felt a little more at ease.

"Because my boys like you, if they didn't you would be dead." She said it so seriously that I had no issue believing her. "And we need to teach people some manners. Hatake has no reason to abandon you like that and the Nara clan truly gets on my nerve. Wouldn't it be great if a pink haired kunoichi was the one to take them down."

I smiled, I couldn't help it. She seemed to actually want to help, and I couldn't doubt her authenticity. I bowed "I am Haruno Sakura, and I would be honored for you to train me."

When I looked up there was a large grin on her face "Meet me tomorrow at training ground 5, 0800. We have a lot of work to do."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm introducing too many characters later and I think the story is going to benefit from a 3rd party POV. Here's your warning for the switch.

Sakura froze in bed, her entire body tense. Something wasn't right in her home. She let out a slow breath while inching her hand toward the kunai she kept under her pillow.

She never slept unarmed, she couldn't bring herself to do so. She let her eyes open slowly as her hand found it's way under her pillow. It was complete darkness just as she expected. She kept it that way for a reason, relying on her ears to listen for any abnormality. She slid out of bed onto the cold hardwood floor holding her breath to make as little noise as possible. She pulled up the hood on her sleeping outfit. It was all black, black pants with a black shirt and hood. Her pink hair had always been too obvious, even when she tried to dye it, it managed to turn pink the next day.

She took a step toward her bedroom door, it was kept slightly ajar. Just enough for a slim kunoichi to slip out without disturbing the silence. She heard nothing, but that did nothing to appease her anxiety. Another step brought her into her hallway. The kunai in her hand was trembling. She didn't want to admit how much this feeling of fear was consuming her.

She took a slow and quiet breath through her nose attempting to smell anything unnatural. Nothing.

Another deep breath to steady herself, her heartbeat was too loud. She was sure anyone in here with her could hear it. She padded forward again creeping past her bathroom and ghosting past her kitchen. She froze at the edge of the living room, the tense feeling creeping back into her shoulders.

Fear always made her stupid or brave. Taking a deep breath she shouted "Face me head on you coward! Who dares sneak into a woman's house at night!" then slapped the light on next to her. She hoped the surprise would temporary blind her attacker. Her eyes shot open and stared around for anything that was out of the ordinary.

But her apartment was empty as it always was. The book on the end table was untouched since dinner where she finished a particularly interesting chapter on the tailed beasts.

Her red and gray black-out curtains weren't moving. Her traps were untouched and the alarm system still flashing above her door as always.

She turned to survey her kitchen and hallway, the dishes were still in the sink piling up. Nothing had moved, nothing had changed. She let out a sigh and shut off the light, plunging her world back into darkness. The darkness had become her safety blanket. Nothing else could envelop a person so fully.

Every night she would do this. The feeling someone was inside her small sanctuary invaded her as soon as she got into bed. Fear would ease out of her spine into her limbs making them feel almost numb. Adrenaline coursed through her system quickly, triggering her fight or flight response. It never relaxed until she secured her apartment. No one was there, she was alone, no one was ever there.

Though the feeling never returned to her extremities until she crawled back into her bed. She couldn't help but think how her teammates must feel like this every night too. Then she scoffed at herself. She didn't think Naruto would hear noises at night and become too frightened to function. Sasuke wouldn't worry about someone breaking in. She didn't bother with Kakashi, she knew he felt her as a burden, this revelation would only make it worse.

They were brave shinobi and she was the weak link.

"I don't want to be anymore." She thought to herself sadly. " **It may be nice to sleep again,"** Inner replied feeling just as useless. She was the Sakura that was supposed to support the outer. Make her feel brave and determined. But carrying hope for two people was too difficult a venture sometimes. And if she were to admit it, she was just as scared too.

Hours passed as Sakura just sat in her bed and listened to her empty apartment. She tried to let her body rest, but after a night like this, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep again. Her thoughts led her what she could do. She could go to the library or even train, but tonight the thought of leaving her bed and turning on her light was too much.

What if someone thought she was home? She lived alone and people out this late didn't usually have good intentions. She sighed at herself. Even analytically knowing she was fine and no one was coming in, certain nights it wasn't logic that pushed its way to the forefront of her mind.

She could only hope whatever Hana helped her with could change her. Maybe make her better than who she was. Getting rid of her weakness would make her stop being such a scared little girl. Fear ruled her life, fear to fall behind, fear she would never be good enough, fear to leave her darkness.

With these thoughts running through her head, she turned to glance at her clock. 5 a.m. It was not too early for her to get up and begin getting ready.

Even with her black out curtains, morning light was slowly creeping into her home signaling she made it through another night. This was the start of a different day. This was supposed to be the first day of forever. Of her chasing her own dreams and not letting her teammates keep passing her over and over. But if she was perfectly honest with herself, they had passed her a long time ago.

It was with those thoughts she began to dress. She looked at her lovely dress and fingered the silky fabric. It wasn't practical. She wanted to change so she was going to change, even if it meant on the outside first. She hung up her dress neatly and slid it carefully to the side.

After the incident, she was allowed to go through her parents' belongings that weren't utilized as evidence. The clothing was the only thing left she really cared about. Nothing else was left with the memories of all of them together. Sakura believed that if she kept their clothing close than they were with her.

She pulled forward her fathers favorite dark green wrap top. Its sleeves were a bit long and tad oversized. She pulled it over her head and took a deep breath. It truly felt like he was there with her. Supporting her in death as he did in life. Next, she brought out her mother's black cargo pants and slid them over her petite legs. Now she was representing both her parents and, to be honest, the pants were extra useful.

Her mother used to always tease her about her dress. She said cargo pants were better since she could fit anything she needed into her pockets, pens and notepads, tools for around the house. They were the most useful garment, unlike the dress that made her Sakura look too skinny. Then she would tweak her daughter's nose and go back to whichever activity that was interrupted. But then at a drop of a hat, she could turn into the most beautiful lady Sakura had ever seen. It never mattered who came to their door, expected or not, she was the perfect hostess.

It was apparent to Sakura that her mother must have come from somewhere amazing. She wished she asked. At at the time though, all she could do was wonder how her father managed to keep her held down. She was always drifting on the edge of something, sometimes it was hard to keep a grasp on her mother. Though it was her mother's movements that caused the most envy and awe. Fixing a light bulb? She would dance up the ladder. Arranging the flowers to perfection? She would glide across the floor as beautiful as any dancer. A smile on her face and a quiet hum for whichever song was in her head that day, her long brown hair flowing as beautifully as she did. She never was one to sit still, instead, she flowed place to place like she was in her own performance. And to Sakura? She was.

With a smile, she slid on her sandals and rummaged around for her weapons from her old pack. She was sure, one day she would manage to have that same grace as her , other. After all it was in her genes. But before that, she had to fix herself and become the best shinobi possible.

A peek at the clock and a final pat down of her clothing and she was out the door. She was lucky she was now almost the same size as both her petite parents. As she was walking out she performed her normal check, all rooms empty, traps set, door locked. Always working from the bedroom outward.

At 8 o'clock sharp she arrived to already see Hana was already there with her triplets. She looked very crisp in her standard Chunin vest and black spandex shorts. Sakura couldn't help thinking how unarmed she appeared.

That night as Sakura waited for her fear to ebb she had begun to think about what she was doing and what she really wanted. She changed her clothing to look the part, it was time to start acting it as well. It would only due to treat her new sensei with respect.

"Inuzuka-sensei, I would like to apologize for my behavior last night. It was not befitting of you or your rank. I should not have touched your nin-dogs without permission and it will not happen again."

Inuzuka Hana smiled. She was glad the kunoichi had some respect in her. After being on a team with Naruto for so long, Hana started to worry Sakura was going to be a carbon copy of the knuckle-head. Especially with the introduction of the previous evening.

"I see you have changed your outfit. Why?"

Maintaining her bow Sakura stated "I wish to be a shinobi Inuzuka-sensei. My dress was meant for a lady not a fighter. If I want to be taken seriously, I thought I should dress seriously."

"Good thinking, now stand up." She did "Those are good colors for around here." Sakura tilted her head in curiosity.

"You are a shinobi in Konohagakure. This is the village hidden in the leaves. What better color for you than to blend in. You are still a genin and Hatake should have covered this a long time ago. Shinobi are meant to be unknown. They are the faces you lose in a crowd, the faces that no matter how hard you look, the minute you look away, the details start to fade.

You are at a disadvantage, with your pink hair. This will get fixed today."

Sakura took a deep breath. _This is what I want. She's going to train me. This is what I want._ She repeated this mantra in her head as she nodded. "Inuzuka-sensei I have tried to dye it before. It never worked."

"That's fine, we are going to cut it and I have a beanie you can wear. It should cover your pink hair quite nicely.

Now before we continue any further, I need to see where you stand thus far." Hana smirked at the worried frown on her new students face. "You will spar with me, 'Ichi' 'Ni' and 'San' as you have dubbed them, will sit and observe. Don't take it easy on me." With these words, she got into a ready stance and waited.

Sakura took a deep breath and got ready. Without waiting for Hana's first attack she rushed her quickly doing the hand signs for a Bunshin. _Tiger-Boar-Ox-Dog_

Two more pink headed genin appeared and rushed at the waiting Inuzuka. They began to weave in and out trying to confuse her opponent.

* _POOF* *POOF*_

Two well-placed senbon broke through her clones. But Sakura was within striking distance, she had been winding up a punch during her rush. But she wasn't fast enough to strike her sensei. With a small step to the side, Hana grabbed the pink haired kunoichi's fist, let her follow through to the open air and slammed her knee into Sakura's open and undefended stomach.

Sakura fell to the ground and shoved herself back already breathing heavily.

Hana frowned _One strike and she's already tired. How did she beat Yamanaka anyway?_ She kept watching as Sakura reached into one of her cargo pants pocket and grabbed out a Kunai, without any forethought it seemed, she rushed her again.

Hana brought out her own Kunai and stood up straight able to parry every stab, slice, and swing her student threw at her. _Her speed is terrible, her endurance dreadful, but there's that look. That's the look that says she isn't going to cave no matter how hard I push. Lets see how long it takes for me to make her break._

Hana parried a top cut and grabbed the Kunai out of the other girls hand as she was attempting to adjust it in her hand.. A quick punch to the jaw and Sakura was on the ground seeing stars.

"You definitely need work. Who taught you to reposition your Kunai after a strike? You lose your grip and any advantage you may have. I hit you two times and you are already down on the ground? Kinda pathetic if you ask me." Hana waited for a reaction.

An irritated Sakura broke through "I know! That's why I wanted a freaking teacher!" Still laying on the ground and a bruise quickly forming on her face, she slapped her hands over her mouth. Hana smirked again, there was that girl from last night. _Inpatient and loud, guess she hasn't mastered her emotions just yet, no matter what show she was putting on earlier_.

"Get up. It's time we began your new training."

Sakura stood and brushed herself off. _This dirt all over me goes with dad's shirt surprisingly well_ she thought wryly. She braced herself, still thrilled though. Hana had seen how terrible she was and didn't want to give up on her just yet.

"I'm ready for anything Inuzuka-sensei."

"Good, we're going to start with your cardio. This clearing is about 800 meters around. You will run around it 30 times. After every 5 laps you will go to the middle and do 50 push-ups and 50 sit-ups. When you complete each set, you will add 50 more sit-ups and push-ups to your regimen.

If you start slacking 'Ni' here will be on your tail for encouragement. Show me that you're worth the effort."

Hana smiled on the inside at the lack of hesitation to follow orders. She turned to the remaining two pups, instructing 'Ichi' to go get scissors and 'San' to get the beanie she had left in her room that morning.

She then turned back to the running Sakura and studied her as she completed her first set of 5. It was on her push-ups where it seemed she took a too long breath for 'Ni'. It didn't take her long to figure out "encouragement" meant a quick nip to the kunoichi's available body part. Hana could see her start to falter after her 15th lap. 'Ni' was not a patient pup and kept pushing her further and further with some well placed nips. She couldn't keep up a good consistent speed, it was lap 18 she tripped and stayed down.

Hana waited feeling her boys pad up behind her. The younger girl was quickly finding her limits. She needed to break these limits. Older shinobi learned quickly that even when your mind says you're tired and unable to continue, your body can keep going. Only pushing past that point will make her improve.

About two minutes of watching saw the prone girl on the ground begin to twich. Another minute and she saw her rise to all fours. 'Ni' waited patiently as she shakily got to her feet and gave her knees a little nudge. Sakura began to walk again, seemingly that was the fastest speed she was going to be able to manage now.

 _Always room for improvement_ Hana scoffed. "Sakura" she called, "come here, you did well today but we have more to do before you pass out." Exhausted but determined green eyes met her own. Hana may have seen a hint of relief, but it was gone before she could pin it down.

 _Each step hurts. Breathing hurts. Inuzuka-sensei is sadistic_ Sakura thought to herself. **_But think of it,_** Inner interjected, ** _if we can manage this we will only get better._** _Shut up Inner._

She was determined to make it to Hana without collapsing. She continued to shuffle, feeling like it was taking forever to get across this small clearing. It shouldn't take her this long, but running this much made this slow pace her only able pace. She finally reached Inuzuka-sensei and the boys who looked too happy. How can these wolfhounds look happy? But even they seemed to be smirking at her current state.

A glance down to 'Ni' showed him and his demon teeth almost smiling up at her. Sakura shuddered remembering the feeling of his teeth ripping into her arm. She gained a bit extra respect for Hana's warning the previous night.

 _They are trained to kill…_ The sentence floated around in her head. Maybe next time she wouldn't touch the "fluffy puppies" without permission. Then shuddered, 'Ni' snorted as if he could read her thoughts. She lifted her heavy head and looked at Hana then turned to the scissors in her hand.

She took a deep breath and turned her back to the older woman. She shut her eyes and heard a sigh of exasperation coming from behind her.

"Sakura, calm down. You want to survive to a ripe old age? Deal with this, hair grows back and I'm not turning you bald."

"Yes Inuzuka-sensei."

"You did good today, tomorrow we'll be repeating the same thing. You should have easily been able to do this without stopping. Don't expect many more easy days like today."

With her eyes shut, she took a deep breath and focused on anything other than what was happening on her head. Listening hard she heard the scissors snipping near her ear. She spread out her range and heard the boys sitting patiently, each of them breathing calmly and evenly. 'Ni' was on the left 'San' the middle and last came 'Ichi'. She could get a feel for each of their breaths and each small distinction. 'Ichi' breathed a bit louder almost trying to top the other two. 'Ni' on the other hand was so quiet his breath she almost had to strain to hear. It didn't seem to matter it was 'Ni' that was the one just chasing her around for the last 2 hours he obviously didn't exert any effort.

Next she took a deep breath and began organizing her scents. Hana smelled like so many different animals. There was an undercurrent of blood and urine on her clothing. There was a slightly woodsy scent too. It seemed to Sakura that Hana spent a lot of time outside. Another breath and she adjusted to the scents of her companions.

Oddly enough they smelt just like Hana. _I wonder if that's because of the Inuzuka bond like Kiba and Akamaru have? This bond must go deeper than I thought._

And yet each pup had his own musk too. 'Ichi' smelt almost sweet, making her think he spent a lot of time stealing food that maybe he shouldn't. 'San' had an undertone of a campfire smoke, this began to make her wonder if each of her companions represented a side of Hana. A last inhale changed her focus to 'Ni'. His scent slightly jarred her, he smelt only of Hana and blood. He was the killer of the group, she was sure.

It took too long for her to realize that Hana had already stopped the cutting and styling of her hair.

"What were you doing?" Hana asked. She saw Sakura floundering for an answer. After she was done with the hair she looked at Sakura as she was…sniffing the air around her? She seemed absolutely oblivious to her surroundings. This type of distraction was dangerous, she needed to know if this was a habit she would need to beat out of the young whelp.

"Well…I'm waiting."

Sakura decided to be honest. This was her new sensei after all. She should be able to trust her. "When I get nervous or stressed I shut my eyes and focus on my other senses. I find that I can identify things better and feel calmer in the dark. I was focusing on you and the pups, learning their scents. I tend to start with hearing, then scent, then touch, and lastly taste."

"And what exactly did you smell?" Hana seemed skeptic.

Sakura shrugged now feeling self-conscious. "Really it was nothing much. I was just matching each boy with his scent. I can usually tell certain aspects of people and things based on my senses."

"Give me proof."

"'Ni' is the best killer in your pack isn't he?" Hana froze. Sakura explained quickly "He is the one that smells most of blood. It covers him like a second skin."

"Yes, he is. Tomorrow you are going to show me the extent of this sensory output you do." Hana's mind was turning a mile a minute. She would need to discuss this with her mother. Maybe Tsume had heard of someone like this girl or how to train her. Before she bit off more than she could chew.

"Sensei, why? Shouldn't I be focused on more important things?"

"Let me handle that. I am your teacher, trust me, you won't fail."

"Inuzuka-sensei, I'm still so very happy you are willing to teach me, but…?

"Spit it out."

"Why do you want to help me? Truly? What did the Nara clan do?"

Hana opened her mouth to explain until she looked down. Her new student was swaying while just standing still. It seemed only pure will was keeping her standing. Maybe stubbornness. She shook her head.

"Another time little one. You're dead on your feet, it's time you went home and got some rest. I'll see you tomorrow, right here same time." Hana's kind words rang true.

Sakura felt the weight of her legs dragging her down. Even her arms were shaking. Before she could respond, the Inuzuka began walking away from her. Her boys following her like small shadows. As she turned to trudge home, too tired to even eat she swore she heard 'Ni' yelp after her.


	3. Chapter 3

Sakura was dead on her feet. Everything hurt, and even more, she was angry at herself. _It was running. Just a bit of cardio and I'm so exhausted._ In her mind she was pathetic. A ninja was supposed to be the elite of the elite. They could run for hours non-stop. They could sit in the icy rain all day without complaint. Even Hana said she was too obvious with her hair.

Lost in her thoughts, she managed to stumble home completely oblivious to her surroundings. She trudged up her stairs skipping the third step that squeaked and the fifth that was slowly rotting. Her neighbors never seemed to be home when she was there. She stopped looking for them a long time ago sure they came and went when she wasn't home.

Key in the lock, trap disabled, key turned, next trap done, door creaks open and she reaches in to shut off her alarm system. Glance over her shoulder showing a quiet and empty street, she slips in the door, locks it again both traps armed and alarm back on again.

A kunai gripped in her hand she ran on unsteady legs to check the rest of her apartment. Another ritual before she would feel secure. She released a sigh, reassured she was alone, plopped down on the couch and shut her eyes.

 _Alone. All alone to wallow in my misery as a failure._

 ** _I'm here too._** Her inner responded in a subdued voice **_But this was the point of the training, to get better._**

She shrugged. _You don't count. And we should be better. At least enough to complete something simple._ The silence in her head echoed around that thought. There was a twinge of anger and hurt in her mind, seemingly Inner didn't like to be told she didn't matter.

She glared off into space, green eyes hard as she let her her misery surround her.

Why did she want to be a shinobi? What was her purpose? Why wasn't she better. Why couldn't she be apart of a clan? They never had to try as hard. Everything came so easy to them. Even when it didn't they always had a fallback. Inuzuka even had a dog-nin bond. Who did she have? No family, no friends to check on her. Her team was gone. No one.

 ** _I'm still here! Stop saying you're alone. And what about Ino? What about Naruto? What about Oji-san? Why are you forgetting them so quickly? Even Hana-sensei cared._**

Sakura scoffed into the empty air.

 _If they care so much, where are they? Ino is probably telling Shikamaru everything he needs to beat me. Naruto didn't even bother to say goodbye. Oji-san….I haven't talked to him in months. Not since I got my team and became a legal 'adult'._

 _And Hana-sensei stopped our training before we even finished it. Sure I was tired but she thought I would give up so quickly._

Her dark thoughts surrounded her. She was still grateful for Hana's training but that didn't stop the bitterness of her thoughts. She took the lack of Inner's response as confirmation.

She creaked to her legs and looked at the clock. It was only 4 p.m., still plenty early enough to head over to the library and get some research in. Staying in her sticky and smelly clothing, she did another quick sweep of her place reset the traps and the alarm and sweat out the door.

Her walking did not improve the pain in her legs. It slowed her to the pace of a crawl and every step on the cobblestones beneath her feet shot a bolt of lightning through her calves. By the time she arrived she was once again drenched in sweat, happy she had the forethought to not change if she was just going to get dirty anyway.

A few more steps brought her inside the huge library and her favorite attendant was behind the desk. Hirune-kun was even worse for falling asleep than the Nara in the academy. His long black bangs cut to perfectly cover his eyes. Every time she woke him up he would say he was "Praying to Kami-sama for a better future." She would laugh at the excuse. It never changed.

It was with a smile that she walked past the 'praying' man. She went for the section she had left the other day. " _The Weather Patterns and Species Variations of Iwa"_ With a smile she ran her finger over the binding.

 ** _Hey, look stop being so blind. You want to be better, we can be better. There are a few secret justus on the upper floor of this place. Go get them, maybe we can take a short cut in this training. Reading about Iwa isn't going to do anything for you._**

She paused from removing the book. The bitterness from earlier seeping back in. She did want to get better, didn't she? She didn't have that much time left before her match. Especially not enough to continue training the normal way. A month wasn't enough to change.

It was tempting. Maybe she could just take a small bypass over the daily and excruciating training. A small smirk ghosted on her face as she turned and meandered up the stairs as if she belonged up there.

The more she walked the fewer people she saw. The upper floors were not as accessible and mostly just junk with some extra scrolls and storage intermixed. Not a lot of people wanted to dig through or clean. The entry to the 5th floor loomed in front of her. One small unassuming door with a small 5 above it. Her eyes easily skimmed over it, as if not wanting to be seen.

Before she could chicken out she locked her eyes on the door in front of her. Determined she opened the door and slipped in, darting as fast as she could on her sad legs.

Dark was the first thing she noticed and the smell of dust was the second. _Doesn't anyone come clean?_

Finding her way in the dark had never been an issue, closing her eyes she went to the furthest shelf. There were no windows on this floor strangely, the floor seemed to stretch in every direction. She held up her hand and focused a small amount of chakra just creating a slight glow. She smiled at the one thing she learned to do on her own. Kakashi was not wrong when he mentioned what amazing control she had.

Once again her smile turned bitter thinking back on the time. Where a compliment to her was a challenge for the boys. His words always seemed to be a double edged sword.

Bringing herself back to the present she grabbed the first scroll in front of her hand. Turning around she was surprised to see a desk next to her in the far corner. _Maybe I'm not the only one who has had this idea._ Setting the scroll down and turning on the lamp the dust came into full perspective. _Or maybe not…_ Dust almost half an inch thick was surrounding her.

A frown graced her features as she sat down, broke open the seal and began to study.

—

Inuzuka Hana wandered slowly through her compound thinking about her new student. She was out of shape for a kunoichi. If Hana were honest, she was out of shape for living any type of active life style. Her slimness was a testament of genetics, not hard work.

She was intriguing though, using her senses for identification of her surroundings. That would come in handy as a shinobi.

She smiled and waved as she passed other Inuzuka's and their companions. From the young children playing on the streets to the elders tending herbs in their windows. Life here was so vibrant.

She knew these people and their animals. It was always to her everyone came and she was proud of that. People cared amazingly little about their own lives when their animals hung in the balance at it was her who could help with that turning point.

She had meant to tell her mother about taking Haruno Sakura on as a student but Tsume had been pulled away on clan business late that previous night. Today though, Hana knew her mother was in her office. She came upon the large building that doubled as the clan's kennel and her mother's office. Tsume had an urge to keep all the new and healing nin-dogs near her. She said they made her work harder. Hana never argued, she knew that when Tsume was stressed she would wander around the kennels and draw strength from the pups around her.

It was with a relaxed jaunt she entered the tall oak doors to her mother's office. Tsume looked up from the paperwork her head was hunched over, the wind from all the open windows ruffling her already spiky hair. A small smile graced her features as she looked her daughter over. Hana was happy to know Tsume was in a good mood this evening.

"Hana, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Can't a daughter visit her mother?" Hana asked with a small grin and overly innocent eyes.

"Not when she never has before."

"Okay, you're right. I have an announcement." Tsume put down her pen and looked up, her sharp eyes on her daughters face.

"I took on a student! Haruno Sakura was in need of a sensei for the third exam and I volunteered. She's even fighting a Nara!" Hana said deciding not to mention how she came upon her student initially.

Instead of looking happy or even contemplative as she expected, her mother looked furious.

"You did what? Did you not think to ask me? Did you think it would be okay to walk around spilling clan secrets to every nobody in Konoha?"

"No Mom! It's not like that!" Aghast at the very thought she tried to speak again "She needed…" Tsume interrupted holding her hand up.

"What about your current duty as out nin-dogs med-nin? Are you giving up on that and on the clan? No. You are not and I won't let you."

"Mom wait, please stop, nothing like that.."

"No. I am the head of this clan." Tsume began to rise, pinning Hana's eyes with her own. "You have a duty to every single person in this compound. Your job is not to fraternize with anyone outside of it unnecessarily. You have a position to maintain and an image to portray. Loyalty Hana, I will not have anyone question that. Especially not one of my own family. Especially not for some parentless whelp."

Hana couldn't look her mother in the eye anymore and bowed her head in submission. She noticed her boys cuddle down next to her also bowing to the authority Tsume exhibited. That was a clan leaders order and no matter what, it was to be followed. Nothing Hana could say could change that. Tsume wasn't done.

"Tomorrow you will tell her you will no longer train her. Tell her she is not welcome near you or your clan again. Tell her that she was a fool for even following you in the first place. Then you will come straight home and to your rightful job." her tone broke no argument. Hana felt tears prick in her eyes but crying in front of her mother was never worth the pain. Inuzuka's were strong above all else and she needed to represent that.

She took a deep breath to steady herself and looked up at her mother. "Hai mother, I will do as you say." She stood up, bowed to her clan head, and took her leave.

Her steps dragged outside, down the steps to the tower, and into the building across the street that was her office. She looked down at the boys she could never call 'Ichi' 'Ni' and 'San' again. Each of them cuddled, a paw on her lap here, a nose shoved under her hand. All of them giving her much needed support. She looked at the sparsely decorated walls of her office and braced herself. Now she wasn't much better than Kakashi, leaving the pink haired nin alone.

—

Sakura looked up with a smirk. The first five scrolls had been worthless to her. Two were in a language she couldn't understand, one fell a part as she picked it up, and two others she knew she didn't have enough chakra for the first step let alone all of them. But this one was something she could use.

This scroll was pretty simple in and of itself. It directed the user to take their chakra and kill the nerves making her feel pain. If the user did it correctly then they could cut out the sense of pain. This would let them go further than their natural body would normally stop them. Chakra had to be divided properly though. They still needed to maintain the ability to feel pressure.

It may have been late but Sakura had never felt more awake. She would do this and be able to go farther than she ever had. In the morning she would show Hana her amazing improvement and finish her laps without a problem.

She went to the wall nearest her and assumed a meditative seat. Taking a deep breath she let herself focus inside to her chakra coils, to her core. This was what inner called her home. It's where Ino was sucked into during the exam and was trapped until the match was called. Only then did Inner let her out. She made it look however she wanted whether scary and mutilated or serene and peaceful. She was the one in control here.

 ** _We can do this pretty easily, take the chakra over to the spine and slowly sever the nerves. We'll block the neurotransmitters then slowly focus a small amount to the thalamus and dull the flow there. It'll be perfect._**

 _Then I'll leave it to you._

Both left the inside of the body to Inner. It was where she thrived, anything there was under her control. That was when Outer Sakura gave her the most acknowledgment. Inner didn't feel as ignored during this time. She liked feeling useful.

She focused on her breathing, keeping it steady as her chakra rushed around her body. After about an hour of deep breathing, she felt the pain that was steady in her legs, fade away. Even with the relief of pain, she kept her position. It wasn't over, Inner hadn't spoken to her yet. Another hour of meditation passed and she felt the chakra recede from her spine completely. In fact, it had almost had completely depleted.

 ** _done…_** Inner barely breathed out. She sounded exhausted. Her exhaustion wasn't shared though. Sakura didn't feel tired, she wasn't feeling in pain. In fact, if anything she felt great compared to when they began earlier. Another glance at the clock on the wall said it was already 7:00 a.m.

She jumped up and was almost giddy at the lack of sensation she was feeling. Or wasn't. She jumped a little and a grin split across her face. Her chakra may have been low but she knew she could run home without a problem. She walked passed Kimi-chan and waved realizing the shift switch must have happened when she was there. It was no surprise to Kimi, Sakura constantly ended up falling asleep and leaving at odd hours.

Kimi wrinkled her nose a bit at the smell that followed Sakura in her wake. _Kid could really use a shower._

Happier than she had felt in a while, Sakura ran home relishing in the lack of pain. Her lungs weren't burning though she was breathing harder. The air seemed cooler, her breath frosted in the morning air. But there was no chill around her _Hmm…strange…._

She undid her traps in her home, performed her check, and rushed to the shower. She couldn't wait to show Hana how far she had come! It wouldn't do if she stank though. Throwing on the water in her shower, she waited until the room completely steamed up where she couldn't even see her reflection and hopped in. But she didn't feel the heat, she felt the water pressure, but no temperature. As she scrubbed herself clean she watched her skin turn a dangerous looking red. There was nothing. When she felt clean she hopped out and grabbed the kunai she left in her bedroom. A quick slice across her palm left an angry red cut but nothing felt off. There was no pain.

Perfect. As she wrapped it, she felt absolutely perfect. 7:50 and she ran to the training grounds. By the time she was there, her legs were trembling but she didn't feel any cause. She knew that the muscles were still slightly torn, but it wasn't a big deal. She couldn't feel it. And that felt great.

It was with this thought she finally focused on the clearing around her. Hana was walking up to her, frowning. Sakura was trying to figure out the frown, but she wasn't too concerned. She couldn't wait for today's training. Nothing could stop her, and the stronger she got, the less she would be alone.

"Sakura." The cold tone made her freeze. It was a shock to realize the pups were hanging back. Were they going to spar again?

"I can no longer train you." Hana's heart broke at the almost childlike innocence on Sakura's face.

"Inuzuka-sensei…what do you mean? Are you joking? What about getting back at the clans…?"

Hana's eyes hardened "I am not your sensei, do not call me that. You were a fool for thinking I would train someone like you. There's no place for you near me or my clan. You will stay away from all of us. You are too weak for me to waste my time trying to fix you." It was with those final words that were the nails in the coffin. Hana had seen Sakura put so much trust in her after one night. Much more than she should have.

Hana turned to walk away. A clan leaders' orders were to be followed. And Hana had done her duty, it was time to return to work and never look at this pink haired female again.

Hana passed her boys and they followed her as normal, offering her support as only they could. She walked slowly almost wanting the girl to follow her.

There was no pursuit behind her.


End file.
